Step One

Cuticle work, shaping, buffing, and a good base coat are essential steps prior to starting the design. I used a Planet Nails base coat, which I like because it's super thin and dries incredibly fast, but any good base coat will do.

Apply the first layer of caviar by dotting the color randomly using a fine artist brush, available at any art supply store. The dots don't need to be exactly the same size. The order of the colors is entirely up to you, but I usually save white for last because it brings the surrounding colors to life.

Photo: courtesy of Stefanie Lee

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Step Two

Apply the second color between the first dots without getting too close. If you want a uniform look, pair up the dots from the start.

Photo: courtesy of Stefanie Lee

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Step Three

Apply the third color. You can use the same brush throughout as long as you wipe it clean with non-acetone remover between every color.

Photo: courtesy of Stefanie Lee

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Step Four

Apply the fourth color. By now, the colors should be slightly overlapping and you'll find less space to apply too many of the same color dots.

Photo: courtesy of Stefanie Lee

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Step Five

Apply the fifth color. At this point, almost every gap should be filled in. Don't neglect the sides of your nails!

Photo: courtesy of Stefanie Lee

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Step Six

Apply the final color. The last color fills the very few gaps still left. I used white because my palette is bright.

Photo: courtesy of Stefanie Lee

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Step Seven

Lastly, apply two layers of topcoat. Use three strokes per nail, covering the middle first and then either side. I applied a matte topcoat by Essence because I'm obsessed with the chalky appearance, however, a glossy topcoat looks amazing and adds more dimension. Voilà!

Photo: courtesy of Stefanie Lee

Nails

Seven Steps to Faux Caviar Nails

Stefanie Lee, a 21-year-old makeup artist from Cape Town, South Africa, shares how to get this creative nail design at home.